Iranian authorities harassed, abused families of Flight 752 victims : Human Rights Watch

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said the families of those onboard Ukrainian Airlines flight 752, shot down over Tehran in January 2020, have been harassed and abused by Iranian authorities, a claim often raised by the families themselves. 

The report, based on interviews with 31 family members and people with "direct knowledge" of the authorities actions, reveals a wide range of abuses - from withholding belongings of the deceased, interfering in funerals, and torturing and detaining family members of the victims. 

“Iran’s Revolutionary Guard killed 176 people without a shred of accountability, and now Iran’s brutal security agencies are abusing victims’ family members to squash any hope for justice,” said Michael Page, HRW's deputy Middle East director.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shot down the civilian airliner shortly after takeoff from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport on January 8, 2020, killing all 176 people on board. The tragedy came less than a week after the US killing of top IRGC Commander Qasem Soleimani in neighbouring Iraq, which sent US-Iran tensions skyrocketing and left both countries on edge.

Iran initially denied involvement, before admitting three days later that its IRGC troops shot the airliner down “by mistake." Two weeks later, Iran admitted to firing not one, but two missiles at the jet, 25 seconds apart.

Last week, a court in Canada - where many of the victims were based - ruled the shooting down of the plane was “intentional act of terrorism.”

In the report, HRW said authorities have “interfered with burials and memorial services, pressured families to accept the government’s “martyrdom” status for their loved ones, and published photos and videos without the permission of the families at services.”

Authorities have also withheld loved one’s belongings from the families, tortured family members and handed prison sentences to people who participated in protests following the tragedy, it added. In one instance, IRGC members arrived at a private funeral and buried the victim without consent from the family. 

Speaking to Rudaw English in January, Armin Morattab, who lost his twin brother and sister-in-law in the disaster, told Rudaw English in January that authorities have subjected families to “vast psychological and physical torture."

“Iranian officials (Sepah [IRGC], Basijis, government...) have put pressure on families from the very first minutes after shooting down the plane by two missiles,” he said.

In February, UN experts ruled Iran committed “multiple” human rights violations in shooting down the airliner and in the aftermath.

Rudaw English has reached out to the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims for comment.